


The Paladin and the Penguin

by restlessandordinary



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Cuddling, Fluff, M/M, Penguins in love, True Love, gay penguins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-10
Updated: 2018-11-10
Packaged: 2019-08-21 10:51:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16575044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/restlessandordinary/pseuds/restlessandordinary
Summary: So listen, I really love the sheith penguin au. And so does Shiro.





	The Paladin and the Penguin

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GoldenTruth813](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoldenTruth813/gifts).



Keith sighs as he heads to the quarters he shares with Shiro. It’s been a long day. All he wants to do is cuddle up next to Shiro in bed and watch cat videos until he falls asleep. Then maybe they can fool around a bit later. But cat videos and sleep first. Keith reaches their door and rests his forehead on the door frame for a moment before hitting the button to open it. 

The scene he’s confronted with when the door opens is one he never could have expected. Shiro is sitting on the edge of the bed, face awash in blue light, eyes fixed on the video screen in his lap while tears stream down his face.

“Shiro, what’s wrong?” Keith’s heart jumps up into his throat, his mind immediately racing through every worst case scenario possible. What could Shiro be looking at that would make him react this way? Something awful must have happened.

“Keith!” Shiro looks up at him, a wavering smile on his face. “Come here, come look at this.” He reaches out his hand to beckon weakly at Keith, his eyes back on the screen already.

Keith walks quickly across the room and takes Shiro’s face in his hands, using his thumbs to wipe away the tears on his cheeks. He glances down at the screen in Shiro’s lap and gets his first look at what is making Shiro cry like this. Keith’s jaw drops.

“It’s...penguins. Penguins are making you cry like this?” Keith asks incredulously, more than a little irritated by how much Shiro had scared him only moments before.

“Not just penguins Keith, they’re _gay_ penguins. They’re in love!” Shiro cries out, as he turns his head to blow his nose noisily into a tissue. On the screen there’s a video playing, showing two little black and white penguins in a zoo exhibit. One is laying on a pebble nest, and the other one is waddling over to lay a heart-shaped pebble at his feet.

“See? That’s how they propose to each other. They give each other the prettiest pebbles they can find. It’s so romantic,” Shiro said, dabbing at his eyes with a new tissue. 

Keith sits down next to Shiro and starts rubbing his back in soothing circles. “Yeah, it’s pretty sweet, I guess—”

“Wait, I didn’t even tell you the best part yet!” Shiro cuts him off, reaching out to take Keith’s hand in his own, excitement lighting up his eyes. “The zookeepers were able to give them an egg from another penguin couple that had two, an egg of their very own, to keep warm and take care of and love. I’m just so happy for them, they fell in love and got their nest all ready for a baby and now they get to have one.” Shiro finishes his little speech and smiles so radiantly at Keith that he can’t help but smile back.

Keith watches as Shiro scrolls through more videos, starting slightly when Shiro gasps and grabs onto Keith’s knee. “Babe, the egg hatched. Look, there’s a video of their baby, he’s so little and fluffy, I love him.” Right when Keith looks, the video of the baby penguin cuts to one of the dads feeding the baby by regurgitating his own food, which Keith finds disgusting but Shiro is still completely heart eyes about it. Keith sighs lightly and rests his head on Shiro’s shoulder, content listening to him go on and on about how these penguins prove true love is real and how they are going to be the best dads, he just knows it.

It’s a random moment to realize it, Keith knows, but sometimes he loves this man so much he feels like his heart could burst right out of his chest. That the only thing stopping that from happening is the fact that Shiro loves him back, that the strength of their love keeps them both safe and whole. Another thought hits him so suddenly and irrevocably Keith feels like the wind is knocked out of him; Shiro would be an amazing dad. Keith never thought he would be one to want kids, but if that was something Shiro wanted....Keith would give him anything. 

Keith coaxes Shiro into laying down beside him, rests his head on Shiro’s shoulder, and sneaks his hand under Shiro’s shirt, where he likes to rest it right over Shiro’s heart, feel it beating strong and true and _alive_. “Okay, show me some more videos of these penguins, tell me everything.”

Keith drifts off listening to Shiro’s voice, the sound he loves most in the universe. 

“Next time was get some vacation days, do you want to go see them?”

**Author's Note:**

> Dedicated to the real life Shenguins, Sphen and Magic, and their precious new baby. Also to all the amazing artists out there who made me cry tears of joy with their penguin sheith art, thank you.
> 
> Come say hi on tumblr! @restless-red-lion


End file.
